Chapter 25
Sebastian
“I would tell you to take care, Sebastian, but I’m happy to see that you have someone else also taking care of you,” my mom says, smiling at me as I hug her.
Ever since they saw me and Lily all cuddled up together, they’ve been soaring on a cloud, happy to see their son with someone they adore.
These last few days have been amazing—seeing her around my family, so effortlessly fitting in with them.
I’ve driven them to the airport, and even though I’m sad to see them leave, it doesn’t feel as heavy as usual, knowing Lily is back in her apartment.
“Yeah, I’m doing good,” I tell her, my dad taking her place, hugging me.
“We’ll be back soon, son,” he says, clapping me on my back.
Next up is Joseph, who eventually got over his hangover. He’ll reconsider going out again for quite some time.
“Bye, lil bro. It’s been a blast. Say hi to Lily for me and tell her that if she ever wants the better Bennet brother, I’m ready for her.”
I hit him on his shoulder, probably a little harder than he expects, but he laughs, nevertheless.
“Won’t be happening, you asshole.”
He pulls me in for a hug, and I let him, considering I won’t see him for a while.
My family wanders into the departure part of the airport, and I start making my way back to my car when I get a text from Dean.
He’s sent me a link to an article, and when I open it, I stop in my tracks.
Fuck.
This cannot be happening.
Right in front of me is an article featuring Lily and me.
The headline says “Sebastian Bennet. Cosying Up to Mystery Woman”, followed by a picture of us from today.
My hands are around her at the Sky Garden as we look out over the conservatory.
At least her identity isn’t known yet.
It’s only a matter of time, though.
The British gossip media is brutal.
Just as I finish the article, Dean sends me three more, making me groan out loud.
They’re all from British and European news sites, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this has reached the American media as well.
I really need to call Luke.
I hurry back to my car, considering whether to wait for the call and do it with Lily.
I decide against it.
If Luke tells me to stay away from her, I know she would jump in and tell her brother to back off.
Even though I’m not planning to do that, I still feel compelled to do this as right as possible.
It wasn’t supposed to go down like this, but I can’t help myself around her.
Not once did I think about the possibility of us being photographed. I was too occupied having a great time with both her and my family.
Hopefully, I’ll at least get a hold of Luke before someone else tells him, or he sees an article himself.
My heart is pounding in my chest, and my hands get sweaty as I search for Luke on my phone.
Hell, it feels like I’m having a heart attack.
I hit call, bringing my knuckles to my mouth as I bite down, trying to calm my nerves.
Luke answers, and I don’t know if I should feel relieved or not when he answers in his usual tone.
“Hey, man.”
I don’t think he knows, which I’m grateful for, but it makes it that much harder to come clean.
“Hey, Luke,” I say, trying to sound as natural as I can, with my heart hammering so hard, I feel the pulse in my ears.
“I have something I need to tell you, and I don’t know how, and it wasn’t supposed to go down like this,” I begin, my words rushing out in a panic.
Luke doesn’t say anything, which only heightens my stress.
Who knew telling your best friend that you have feelings for his sister could be this nerve-wracking?
All my nervous experiences are lining up nicely; all linked to the beautiful blonde.
“Fuck, this is difficult. I’m sorry, I’m not making any sense right now. My head is a mess.”
Luke is still silent on the other end.
Why doesn’t he say something?
Probably because I’m a freaking mess and he’s letting me get whatever I need off my chest before he gives his input.
“I like your sister,” I say, holding my breath before I add,
“A lot.”
Using the word like feels so juvenile, but I don’t know how to put this.
I hadn’t exactly planned what I was going to tell Luke, thinking I had a few more days to prepare for this talk.
Luke starts chuckling on the other end, and I exhale my breath.
“You think I didn’t know?” he asks, amusement clear in his voice.
Fuck.
Okay.
This may be alright.
At least he’s not mad… yet.
“You saw the articles?” I ask sheepishly.
Maybe I was too slow after all.
“What articles?” he asks.
Okay, then how did he know?
I drag a hand through my hair and explain the articles.
“I haven’t seen them, Sebastian. But I’ve seen the way you look at Lily. Figured when you were going to spend so much time together in London, it was bound to happen. How long has this been going on for?”
It feels weird to talk about this with him, but at the same time, he is my best friend, and all I’ve wanted is for this to be okay.
That both my friendship with him and my relationship with Lily will be okay.
I realise we kissed for the first time yesterday, before my game.
Christ, we’ve already experienced so much together.
We may have kissed for the first time yesterday, but our connections have been growing ever since we boarded that plane across the Atlantic.
“I kissed her yesterday,” I mumble, feeling like a child getting a scolding even though Luke hasn’t been anything but supportive.
I should have known.
Luke is a great guy, and he’s had his fair share of women’s trouble with Jessica, which I’ve supported him through.
Still, this is his sister we’re talking about.
“Yesterday, huh? Took you long enough, Bennet,” he says, and my nerves start to settle.
The relief of having his approval, even support, makes the emotion thick in my throat.
“You are okay with this? I’ve been going fucking crazy, Luke. Worried you’d kill me, or worse, not want to be my best friend anymore,” I tell him, feeling more vulnerable than I ever have.
“Man, I know you’re a good guy—hell, the best I know. There’s no one I would trust my sister with more. That being said, I’ll fucking kill you if you ever hurt her,” he says, and even though I know he’s joking, I take his threat to heart.
“It’s noted, boss,” I joke, making both of us chuckle.
I start driving back to my apartment, still having Luke on the phone, but through the hands-free system.
We talk about the upcoming race weekend, which can be a monumental moment in his career.
I tell Luke that I haven’t said anything sooner because of the race. I want him to be on top of his game, ready to bring home that title.
“I’m always on top of my game. You really need to start thinking more of yourself, Bennet.”
Sometimes the Hastings siblings are very similar, like right now.
With Luke telling me how I should put myself first sometimes, too.
Lily has been telling me the same thing, pushing me to just do.
Do the things I want to.
Don’t worry too much about what others will think.
Having Luke say the same thing means a lot, knowing I have his back.
“I’m excited for this weekend. We’ll land on Thursday morning.”
I’m already pushing it, going to Las Vegas when we’re in the middle of the season, but luckily, the timing is good.
We have the weekend off, and as long as I’m back by Sunday night, it’s all good.
Thankfully, the Las Vegas race is the only one taking place on a Saturday, which is perfect for me.
This time, we’re flying private, which also saves us a lot of time.
“Yeah. It will be good to have you all here.” Luke and Lily’s parents are also coming to the race, all of us anticipating the win.
I’m sure Luke is feeling the nerves ahead of the weekend, but I’m also confident he’ll triumph in this.
If something goes wrong, he will have another chance at the next race.
When we end the call, I’ve reached my parking spot at my condo.
I lean back in my seat, exhaling a long breath.
Now he knows, and he’s okay with it.
Hell, he’s had his suspicions, waiting for this.
It feels like a burden has been lifted from my shoulders.
I lock my car and go straight to her apartment.
I don’t bother knocking, knowing she never locks her door during the day.
When I enter her apartment, Lily casts me a look from the kitchen, where she’s preparing a cup of tea.
“I’m making tea, would you like—”
She doesn’t get the chance to finish her question as I drag her against me, slamming my lips down on hers.
She’s surprised by my hunger but kisses me back.
When we break apart, she gives me a dazzling smile.
“I love the passion, babe, but is there a reason for this pleasant attack?” she asks.
She’s her usual vibrant self, meaning she probably hasn’t seen the articles.
Or she doesn’t care. That could also be the case.
“I spoke to Luke,” I tell her, which brings a glimmer of panic into her eyes.
“Shit, why? I mean, we were going to talk to him, but I didn’t think we would do it yet,” she says.
I love that she says “we.”
We are going to be just fine.
I wrap my arms around her, bringing her closer.
“He’s on the first jet out, ready to murder me, so if you want a piece, you’ll have to be quick,” I tell her, squeezing her butt.
She rolls her eyes, slapping my chest lightly.
“Sebastian,” she murmurs, curious to know what her brother actually said.
“He took it well. He said he had his suspicions already,” I tell her.
Lily thinks that over.
“Yeah, I think he had. He said something when I was on the phone with him when I was sick.”
Now I’m the curious one.
Lily blushes, which she rarely does, spiking my curiosity even more.
She goes back to preparing her tea, casting her eyes down to her assignment at hand.
“What did he say, Lily?” I ask, standing behind her, nuzzling behind her ear.
“He said he wasn’t surprised you’d been the perfect caretaker, and that he thought you wouldn’t mind at all,” she mumbles, feeling shy all of a sudden.
“You think your brother is wrong, babe?” I tease her.
Taking care of Lily was no problem.
I was angrier about her not telling me that she was feeling ill than spending time getting her back into shape.
“I don’t know—you tell me,” she says.
I turn her around, wanting to look into her eyes, make her see that I’m serious about this; about her.
“He’s right. I didn’t mind taking care of you. After the shit you pulled on game night, I was grateful not to have to fight with you, and it gave me a reason to spend time with you,” I tell her, looking into her eyes.
She smiles up at me.
“I think game night was fun,” she says, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek before leaning into my ear.
“You were quite broody that night, Bennet,” she whispers.
“Yeah, you made me crazy.”
Still do.
Crazy about her.